New Delhi police say they will protect women on buses

Dec. 21, 2012
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Indian students and teachers shout anti-government and police slogans as they demand the resignation of the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during a protest in New Delhi following the gang-rape of a student. / Ravendran, AFP/Getty Images

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

NEW DELHI (AP) - Indian officials announced Friday a broad campaign to protect women in New Delhi following the gang-rape and brutal beating of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in the capital.

Police arrested a juvenile Thursday night, the fifth person arrested in connection with the crime, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said. Authorities were hunting for the final assailant, he said. Those arrested were being charged with attempted murder in addition to kidnapping and rape.

The government is seeking life sentences for the assailants, Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters Friday.

"This is an incident which has shocked all of us," Singh said.

The attack sparked days of protests across the country from women demanding authorities take tougher action to protect them against the daily threat of harassment and violence. The government said it was taking steps to address those concerns.

"There will not be any tolerance for crimes against women," Singh said.

Bus drivers would be required to display their identification prominently in the vehicles, buses would be forced to remove tinting from their windows and plainclothes police would be placed on buses to protect female passengers, he said. In addition, chartered buses such as the one where the attack occurred will be impounded if they illegally ply for fares on the streets, he said.

Authorities would also crack down on drunk driving and loitering gangs of drunken youth, he said.

"(The) people of Delhi will feel safe moving through the streets of the city, at any point of time, day or night. That is our objective," Singh said.

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